2 posts from August 6, 2014

August 06, 2014

Anyway, told ya so -- for the next three years, it'll be Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium, the athletic department announced today.

I don't know yet how much money Ocean Bank will pump into FIU, but expect it to be generous -- there's enormous cross-pollination between the bank and the school.

What happened to Alfonso Field, named after David Alfonso, who ponied up money to the FIU Foundation in 2011 for five years of Alfonso Field? He hasn't returned our calls. But here's a truism -- money-starved schools don't tend to end five-year deals with major donors after three years unless the money flow gets constipation. And that might have nothing to do with the school.

The next athletic department structure to get a revenue-bringing name will be Formerly Sunblazer Arena or What Once Was U.S. Century Bank Arena.

Football practice is still closed to the media. Though I can't give you the full meal served of past years because I wasn't there, here's a few pizza roll appetizers of info I heard about from today at La Cage...

Sophomore middle linebacker Treyvon Williams took first team snaps late in practice. Also, junior cornerback Jeremiah McKinnon took snaps at first team corner in a defense against a three-wide set. McKinnon's switched from No. 31 to No. 7, the number of NFL-bound FIU defensive backs Anthony Gaitor and Johnathan Cyprien. Sophomore De'Shawn Hazziez, a walk-on last year who played in 11 games, might be moving up the depth chart also.

On offense, quarterback EJ Hilliard continued with the first team. Joining Hilliard on some of the snaps were speedy redshirt junior running back Shane Coleman and freshman wide receiver Dennis Turner, probably the best big play guy in the 2014 recruiting class. What was it I wrote in the training camp preview about looking for explosiveness?

MEN'S SOCCER

The preseason Conference USA coaches poll puts FIU at No. 7 in the nine-team league and New Mexico as the overwhelming favorite (seven of nine first place votes). Senior forward Quentin Albrecht, Second Team All-C-USA last season, was voted to the preseason all-conference team.